Loyalty is Lost
by Lisle987
Summary: What if Rainbow Dash joined the Shadowbolts instead of going with my friends? WARNING: Contains much violence and some course language.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everypony! :D This story is basically a 'What if' situation. What if Rainbow Dash had joined the Shadowbolts? Well, lets start at the beginning...**

**(P.S. If you're wondering why Rainbow Dash is so OOC, don't worry, you'll find out in the later chapters!)**

_Rainbow Crash. That's what they called me. I practised and practised. I tried so hard for those who ridiculed me, only to fail and be laughed at even more. Still, I was never one for giving up. If I wanted something, I'd get it. No matter what. And what I wanted was to become the fastest and most famous flyer in all of Equestria. In the gullible years of my fillyhood, I thought that joining the most famous flying group, the Wonderbolts, would make my dream come true. But that was never what was meant for me. I was meant for greater things than to become part of some stupid goody-two-shoes, egotistical group, met by a drooling fanbase who were so idiotic they probably didn't know a Sonic Rainboom from an distorted__ cloud. That was not my destiny. I was meant to fly on the darker side of the sky. I see that now. I wouldn't have it any other way._

_This is the grand story of my life. In my early days, when I was only a filly, I knew my place. I was weak back then, weaker than the other pegasi. They would push me around, laugh at my tears, drawing blood on some occasions. I tried to stand up for myself, but all in vain. They were stronger and quicker than me. That's just the way things work sometimes. I had only one friend: Fluttershy. She was even more pathetic than me, and remained pathetic until the death she deserved came for her. I only became friends with her because nopony else would even speak to me. Even the flying teachers looked down at me in disgust. My own parents ignored me most of the time for being so weak. I don't blame them. If I had given birth to a filly like that, I would have killed it already, and not shed a single tear in its absense. They fed me very little, as an effort not to waste food, and beat me extremely if I made even the slightest of mistakes, which was often. I would always go to school with some new bruise, not that anypony cared. Only Fluttershy cared. That weak fool. The teachers did the right thing by ignoring my pleas for attention. Everypony should look out for themselves. To care for others is to make yourself vulnerable, and to make yourself vulnerable is to make yourself weak. If you haven't come to the conclusion that I despise weakness by now, then you must be a complete and utter idiot. I didn't know much about my parents. I assume that they wanted to have a great flyer, hopefully a colt. However, when they were stuck with me, for some reason, they weren't able to have any other foals, no matter how many times they tried. It was as if destiny didn't want them to. It was just as well. They were weak too. I found that out later._

_But, continuing with my story, after a few years, they became sick of me and kicked me out. At first, I tried sleeping at other ponies doorsteps in Cloudsdale, hoping I could gather some fleeting bits of warmth from the hard bristles of the 'Welcome' rug. However, the next morning, I would awaken to sharp hits of pain as they kicked me off their rug. After that happened multiple times and the cuts on my body increased, I decided I'd hide in the back alleys of restaurants or the backyards of other houses. Every night, I was forced to eat what little remains I could find in their garbage to survive. Because I was a clumsy filly, I would often make too much noise, meaning that the owners of the house would awaken, see me and start throwing things at me. So I ran from them. I ran from everypony. Because I couldn't stand to see my own shame reflected in their eyes. However, I still attended school. It was the one thing I truly enjoyed. Even though I was often defeated in all kinds of contests, ranging from swiftness to strength, I didn't give up; I felt I couldn't, that, in some way, becoming a winner would soothe my pain. That instinct turned out to be correct. Nopony knows how satisfying it is to see your foes tremble until it's finally happening._

_My bond with Fluttershy was strong. I would often push her around, as she was weaker than me, and seeing somepony like that gave me hope in myself, so I felt stronger around her. However, she never fought against my abuse, and seemed only concerned for me. Stupid bitch. She should have looked out for herself instead of some pathetic little pony she knew nothing about. She was already being bullied herself. Not only was she a bad flyer, she was also clumsy, too quiet and a real pain in the ass to have a decent conversation with. Why didn't she try to improve on herself? Why did she just sit there and take it all? That's what separates the weak from the strong, in the end. Willpower; and though I was weak and useless, my willpower grew everyday. I wouldn't take it anymore. I would work and work until I became the best flyer in Equestria._

_So, one day, when I was walking with Fluttershy, two pegasus fillies approached us. They were from my school, and started to mock us, as they did everyday. Fluttershy wanted to walk away and ignore them. But not me. You see, when one is a filly, one has a lot of spare time. Though most other fillies would spend it playing with others or obsessing over computer games, I practised. I flew quickly at first, until I realised that was my downfall. I was impatient, and wanted to beat all my opponents with great speed. However, for those few months, I forced myself to concentrate on things like balance instead, making myself go at a slower speed so I could analyse every aspect of my unique flying. When my balance was finally in check, I focused on speed, which wasn't half as much of a problem. Soon, I was an impressive flyer for a filly. Still, I walked everywhere. I didn't let others know how much my skills had improved. No, I was waiting for that moment. A moment in which I could bask in my glory. Such a moment was now. I challenged them to a race. They, as expected, laughed at me, but when they saw the seriousness in my face, they must have thought I was mad. Still, as a pegasus can never back down from a challenge, they accepted. I thought at the time I was doing it for Fluttershy and her honour. But what honour did Fluttershy really have? All honour she did have vanished when she went to live on the ground. No, it was for my own personal glory that I did it. To show everypony, including my good-for-nothing parents, that I was worth more than they had ever estimated. But, carrying on with my tale, all three of us stood at a cloud, our starting line, waiting for Fluttershy to wave her flag. One of the other pegasi flew past her too quickly, causing her to fall. But, right now, she was the least of my concerns. I flew quickly, speeding through the cloud rings that hung in the air, the obstacles that had been set up earlier. One of them flew too quickly, crashing into a piece of cloud ahead. I carried on, chasing my last opponent through circle after circle. However, he crashed into me, trying to knock me over._

"Heh! Later, Rainbow Crash!"

_He then sped ahead._

"Hey!"

_I flew after him at top speed, using all the energy that I had been saving for later in the race, chasing him downwards. I sped past him, but soon I realised that I couldn't stop. I had broken the sanctity and predictably that the sky had to offer, and made it a place of exploration, competition and adventure in my mind for the rest of my life. And for that one moment, I was truly free. I didn't know what was happening, but I was enjoying every second of it. Later, when other ponies were asked, they described it as 'a forcefield of light surrounding her, and colourful spectra of the same light following her'. What they meant, in less poetic words, was that I had performed a Sonic Rainboom. In all my months of practising, I had never foreseen such a thing happening. I had barely even thought such a thing possible. Still, against all the odds, this ugly duckling had grown into a swan, one that was flying at the speed of light through the crowds, shocking everypony she zoomed past. As I finally sped through the finish line, breaking it with my impossible speed, the pegasi who had once mocked me only cheered me. I had never felt better in all my life. Finally, I had received all the recognition that I deserved. Finally they knew that I was meant for greater things. And finally, as the Sonic Rainboom cutie mark appeared on my flank, I was filled with that knowledge as well._


	2. Chapter 2

_It had been four years since the Sonic Rainboom incident, and since then I was seen as a completely different pony. I was popular with many other pegasi, from teachers to fillies my own age. I was finally accepted. Even the home situation got better, as my parents praised me as a blessing from the Gods. They offered me a place in their family back home. I wanted to keep my pride and decline as rudely as possible. However, I believed I had nowhere else to go. That was until the invitation. It was an ordinary sunny day in Cloudsdale. I was flying through the sky at super speed, impressing the group of followers that now came to watch me every time I practised, when a strange pegasus joined the group. The other ponies could tell, just by looking at him, that he was different from the rest of them. He wore a full-body outfit, skin tight, showing his skinny yet muscular figure. It was bright blue with silver spirals twirling down his legs, meant to represent wind. His face was also covered by the outfit, meaning only his long grey wings, his shiny silver mane and his sharp ice blue eyes were visible. Other mares were already chattering and swooning over him, but it was only when I was finished did I notice him. The ponies carried on cheering until they noticed how I stared at him, then they turned towards him, fixing all attention on the stranger. Yet, even with all eyes on him, he didn't glance at the crowd of ponies. He only stared back at me, beckoning me with his eyes. I slowly floated to the clouds, curiosity moving me more than anything else. He waited until I was safely on the ground, and then reached into a bag. It was light blue with rainbow patterns covering the straps. He grabbed a envelope with his mouth and passed it to me. I gently took it with my mouth. He then surprised everypony by bowing to me. Yet he never made a sound, a silent messenger. A few seconds later, he took off, billows of wind coming from his strong takeoff. I watched him admiringly, until he was completely out of sight. I then turned to the envelope that was still in my mouth and started to open it. Everypony gathered around me, asking what it was about. Even though I wanted to read it in private, I opened it in front of them to shut them up._

**"To Miss Rainbow Dash,**

**Congratulations! You have received a formal invitation to the Cloudsdale's College for Gifted Flyers! Your Sonic Rainboom skills have impressed everypony here, and we feel you'll have a grand future ahead of you if you study at Cloudsdale's most elect college. It is a free service and you can choose whether you want to stay at home or move into the College. All different sorts of courses are offered to help you strength and control your raw abilities. If the College interests you, and you wish to apply for a place, then please come to the College on August 7th, our opening day. However, if you don't attend on the stated date, the College will assume you don't want to attend, and your spot will be filled by another pegasus. If you do choose to attend, then we will happily welcome to the College. We just know you'll love it!**

**Yours Sincerely,**

**Miss Byrd**

**Cloudsdale College's Headmare."**

_After I had read it, it was passed around. Soon, everypony in the crowd was excited and cheering, making useless gestures such as slapping me on the back and hugging me. But I didn't mind. After all, I was even more excited than them. I had been accepted to the famous Cloudsdale College. How many other pegasi that must have envied me, I cannot say. But it must have been a high number. Everypony wanted to get into that College. For some pegasi, it was their dream. Not only was this probably the best thing that had happened to me so far in my short life, it also meant that I never had to see my so-called 'friends' or 'family' again. I was free of them all. I was free to follow my dreams, my ambitions. I had begun to walk down my fated path. This was the end of one story, and the beginning of another. I had waited long enough for this. It was now my moment to shine._

_So, with less than a heavy heart, I went into my house for the last time to say farewell to my parents, who were less than happy._

"You stupid little whore. Do you really think you belong in a place like that? No matter how good you think you are at flying, you'll always be the runt of the litter."

_My mother was as controlling as usual, as you probably gathered. My father, however, didn't seem to care that much, as he didn't say anything, and proceeded to sit in the same seat he always sat in, staring into space, drinking and feeling sorry for his obese self. They both disgusted me. Aganist their wishes, I left for the College. Fluttershy flew from her new home in Ponyville to wish me goodbye. Ever since she fell to the ground on the day of the Sonic Rainboom, she grew a strange obsession with animals and such, so she stayed on the ground. I didn't see the appeal, but, even though I saw her as an idiot, time had made me fond of her, so I respected her wishes, with only a bit of criticism. She had made me weak. Still, right now, none of that mattered much. I practised even more so than I had beforehand, awaiting August 7th. In fact, it was the only thing I did. My dream had started to turn to an obsession. But it didn't matter too much. In fact, an infatuation with flying that the other students didn't have would help me in the College. Still, I grew more and more impatient every day. But, after what seemed like years of waiting, the day finally came. I had my suitcase packed in the corner, just in case they did accept me. But, for now, I assured myself, I had to focus on my current goal. Keep my eyes on the prey, not on the horizon, as they say._

_I set off for the College at 10am. I was never one for waking up early, but I had been so excited that I couldn't stay in bed. I rushed to the College, flying the whole way. I expected the usual impressed pegasi staring up at me. But nothing like that happened. It was then that I noticed that everypony was flying on the way there. Nopony that I knew was chosen to go, but many groups of strange ponies were flying together there, chatting and laughing as they did. It seemed that everypony already knew each other, or the ponies that were coming here for the first time had yet to arrive. Still, I didn't slow down, too excited to care about social obligations. However, when I was close to the College, I had to slow down, to get a proper look at it. It was a large building, made entirely of clouds. There were no childish decorations, no balloons or banners. They acted as if it was just another ordinary day. The formality of it was astounding. The whole structure looked like that of an 18th century castle, except for the windows. There were large empty spaces really, not much windows as they were huge gaps, easy to fly out of, acting as another door for any pegasi that wasn't extremely obese. But that was just the outside. Inside the castle, there were candles all around, the only type of light being used. There were even candles in the chandlers. The doors were also just giant empty spaces, as doors couldn't be used in a house made of clouds. All the furniture there was, such as large wooden stadiums for the students to sit in, had magical enchantments on them, so they were able to stay on clouds. Everything looked like it had stepped out of the past. I usually would have grimaced at the place, calling it 'old-fashioned', but I was so pleased to actually be here that I couldn't criticise. I soon found the main hall, where we were all told to go. No other ponies were here yet, only the students, who walked past me as if I was invisible, making their way to their classes. After they'd all gone, the room was full of a terrifying silence. However, an hour or so later, the headmare appeared. Unlike all the students I had seen, she wasn't wearing any kind of uniform. She was wearing a light brown suit, which complimented her dark brown eyes, dark brown mare and her coal black coat. She was followed by two other pegasi, both male, obviously serving as guards, and a group of other pegasi who started setting up the hall by laying out chairs and such for the visitors. The headmare was talking to one of the decorators when she spotted me, sat silently on one of the chairs, silently observing her. The headmare smiled at her and walked towards her._

"Greetings, young pony. Have you come for the College's opening day?"

_I nodded, spellbound by her power and authority over all she saw. Yet, at the same time, she seemed so friendly, not half as intimidating as I had pegged her out as. She had a naturally kind face, though I knew that, as a headmare, if she had to be strict with a pupil, she would be. I never underestimated that fact, not for a second. I think that's why she liked me. I respected her, but I didn't fear her. She smiled at me once again, laughter lines visible on her aging face._

"I think you'll fit in well, young one."

_With that small piece of reassurance, she walked off to take care of business. About fifteen minutes later, they'd finished setting up the hall and young pegasi were starting to enter. Most of them came with their parents. Some others, however, were the proud ones who assumed they didn't need their parents with them, and therefore came themselves. They all sat down a few minutes later, some ponies grinning with excitement while others trembled with the fear of not being accepted. It was only then that it started to kick in for me. I was here, in the College. I was probably about to go through some extremely hard test soon to prove my worth, and I wasn't as prepared as I'd have liked to be. Still, I didn't worry about other pegasi being more skilled than me. I believed that I had to do my best, or be as worthless as not trying at all, and if I didn't get in, I didn't get in. It was as simple as that. The headmare approached the stadium, looking down at the crowds of ponies packed onto chairs like me, and began to address them._

"Young ponies, you all know why you are here. The simple want that you have is shared among you; to attend this college. However, no matter who you are, you can only get in if you have the talent. So, prepare yourself. The test begins!"

_With that, she pulled a piece of string down with her mouth, causing three symbols behind her to illuminate and stone pillars to close off all doors and windows. All pegasi in the room gasped, including myself. Nopony had expected anything like this. There was no light in the now enclosed room except for a few candles around the headmare, making her seem a lot more intimidating than she had when she was chatting with me, and a strong light coming from the symbols. She gestured to the symbols._

"Speed."

_We all looked at the symbol of a pegasus rushing through the sky, billows of wind following her._

"Grace."

_We turned to the symbol of a pegasus dodging all obstacles in her way while others crashed into them._

"Stamina."

_We turned to the symbol of a pegasus flying past her competitors smugly as they fell to the ground in exhaustion._

"These are all the skills you need to perfect to be an excellent flyer. Though we do not expect for you to be an expert at them by now, we do expect you to pass the three tests we have in store. Even if you do have the skills we're looking for, you still might find this difficult, depending on your personality."

_She then looked menacingly at the crowd._

"So all those who don't have the guts for a challenge, I suggest you leave."

_Nopony stood up. They all had the same determination in their eyes which must have been reflected to her in mine. The menacing anger drained from her face at this, and she smiled at the crowd._

"Then if you would all follow the guards, you'll be shown to your test."

_We all stood from the chairs and followed the guards, except for the parents, who were given a seat so they could watch the test. The test took place in a large empty space; we couldn't even see any obstacles. It was somewhat like a stadium, as there were crowds of parents and other relatives watching us and cheering on the colts and mares in their family. I didn't look at them. I knew nopony would be there to cheer me on. I didn't mind. They would have just been a distraction anyway. We all stood at the race line. A referee in the school uniform was standing there, holding a whistle, a flag and a clipboard will all our names on._ _After a few minutes of stretching, we were ready. The headmare began to speak._

"On your marks..."

_We lowered our bodies and looked forwards._

"Get set..."

_We tried to estimate what lay ahead for us, but also concentrated on the race ahead._

"Go!"

_The referee waved his flag, and just like that, we were off. We started racing through the empty sky, going as quickly as we could possibly go. After a few minutes of that later, some of us noticed that there were obstacles ahead, and prepared ourselves to dodge them. Most of the others, however, were too busy flying to notice them, wind in their eyes, causing them to crash. The parents could see pegasi falling, but since we had already raced too far from view, they didn't know if it was their child, and held out either hope or panic. Rocks began to fall from the cliffs ahead, as planned by the organisers of the race, causing many other ponies to fall. Then they had to fly through various circles of clouds, while still dodging the rocks falling from ahead. Many had started to run out of breath by this point, and some were on the verge of collapsing. I wasn't that exhausted, but I was panting heavily. Then I remembered what the headmare had said._

"Speed, grace, stamina."

_With a sudden realisation, I knew that she was saying them in order. I had to slow down and save my energy if I was going to make it for the long path ahead. I dodged through rings of cloud, trying not to get hit by sharp rocks that threatened to drag me down, while also trying to overcome my instinct to fly as fast as I could. Pegasi raced past me, thinking me a fool. However, others had also got wind of my plan, and were saving their energy like me. The ones that rushed ahead didn't make the race, and collapsed halfway through the air, falling to the hard, unforgiving ground. The ones that stayed behind like me, however, did complete the race. We flew for about ten minutes until we saw the line, and flew towards it as quickly as possible. When we did, we were all greeted with cheers. While some pegasi rushed forwards to congratulate their offspring, others were worried and rushed towards the headmare, asking about the children that didn't make it. She smiled and assured them that their children were fine, and had been caught by a floating safety net, out of sight from the others. A minute or so later, the pegasi who failed the test came walking in, heads hanging. Their parents, however, hugged them tightly, and assured them that they did the best they could. I didn't understand them. If I had failed, I wouldn't have been able to live with the shame, and would have been bullied extremely. Why didn't they get the same treatment? But there was no time to worry about that. The headmare had begun to speak again._

"Good work, my little ponies! You have now all earned the right to join Cloudsdale's College for Gifted Flyers as a student! Congratulations! You begin your studies a week from now!"

_Everypony started cheering and laughing with each other. I stood there, my heart filling with pride I'd never known before. I was accepted at the College. Just like that, I was a student now. I went to walk away, to get my things from home, when I saw a familiar face from the crowd who had been watching. The silent messenger, still wearing that outfit. I stared at him, and he stared back. A few seconds later, he flew off, back into the College. Questions of him filled my head. But now was not the time. Now was the time to celebrate, and prepare myself for the studies and challenges that lay ahead._


	3. Chapter 3

_Life in the College was amazing. Every day, we woke up at 9am to get ready, as classes were at 10am, except for weekends, where we were allowed to leave the College or wander around all day. We all lived in a room with one other pegasus, sharing a bunk-bed. My roommate was, however, horribly annoying. She was a beautiful pegasus, I'll admit that, with a long blonde mane, a pure white coat and dazzling blue eyes. But she never shut up! She kept gossiping about other pegasi that I either didn't know or didn't care about. I wouldn't have minded it so much if I didn't hear her constantly gossiping about me with her group of friends. She didn't even try to be subtle about it. She just pointed to me and said something that was probably as stupid as everything else that came out of her mouth, while all her equally stupid friends laughed along. I don't know how she managed to complete the race. I would have thought a mare like her would be more concerned with her mane than whether she passed a test. Not to mention that every morning she would wake me up with her bad singing in the shower. Then there's the fact that she had to put tons of makeup on her face. Not only in the morning, when I'm as the grumpiest I can be, but in class, and the teacher has to stop us all so she can inform the stupid mare of the rules of the College. Not only was it a stupid thing to do, because we all wore the College uniform which covered our faces anyway, but it was an extreme waste of time that she could be using doing something productive. She annoyed me so much. Still, I tried not to let it get to me, because I had studying to do. The lessons consisted of mastering the three elements of flying: speed, grace and stamina. It was very rare for us to have textbook work, where we researched famous flyers and their secrets; most of the time, it was practical lessons. Races where we worked on our least favourite of the three elements, to try and get better at it. For me, speed was the easiest element to master, while grace was the hardest, though I didn't really struggle with any of them in particular. The headmare often awarded me with medals and such for my hard work, and I won almost every race. Some pegasi envied me, but for the most part I was quite popular in that school, even with pegasi older than me, for my skills. I often saw the silent messenger on the corridors. I didn't know why I was so interested in him, but his veil of mystery sucked me in. I probably wouldn't have been half as interested in him if I knew something about him. But, whenever I mentioned anything about him to any other pony the same age as him, they made some excuse and rushed off. However, one day, when I was out with the older pegasi at a cafe outside of the College, I asked them about him. Everypony went silent and looked at each other in fear, except for one pony. He was always the type never to follow authority; he was brave, but foolish, so, when all around him went quiet on the subject, he almost saw it as a challenge to speak up._

"His name's Damien Shadowbolt. But, around the school, we all call him Raven Shadowbolt, or just plain Raven, though never to his face."

"Why do you call him Raven?"

"'Cause, in all kinds of mythology, ravens are seen as intelligent creatures, right? Well, Damien's the smartest pegasus you're ever likely to meet, but he's also crafty, sneaky and sly. If you ask me, he's damn creepy. Still, I thought you'd be more interested in the last name than our nickname for him."

"Shadowbolt? What's so special about it?"

"What the hell, kid! Have you been living under a rock all your life? The Shadowbolts are the second most famous flying group in all of Equestria!"

"Wow, that's amazing!"

"Nah, kid, you don't wanna join the Shadowbolts. They're evil, y'know. His dad was the one who founded the group, and he plans for Raven to take over when he dies. Apparently, they're on Nightmare Moon's side."

_Even I knew about Nightmare Moon. By this point, she was still in banishment on the moon. The student continued with his story: the Shadowbolts were often hunted down for supporting her and committing what were thought to be 'evil deeds' in her name, and even Princess Celestia thought of them as a real issue. Because of this, they were forced into hiding, as banished as Nightmare Moon, unable to wander into ordinary society, in the fear of being turned into stone or executed. However, seeing as Damien was only the son of a member, he had committed no direct crime, and was therefore free to do as he pleased._

"I've never spoken to him in my life, and I don't plan to. Fuckin' creep. If I had my way, he would be in that stone garden with the rest of those-"

_It was at that moment that we all saw Damien. He was walking around with three other pegasi, who were talking quietly to each other. They were dressed normally and looked perfectly ordinary. Nothing about them seemed threatening, yet, when he and his group walked past, all around him went silent. They ignored them as they made their way to a table in the cafe. A few seconds after they sat down, everypony started talking again, and the stiff silence that had filled the air was gone. It was only the Shadowbolt-hating pegasus that sat next to me who still glared at them all, especially Damien. Before we knew it, he was on this hooves, walking towards them menacingly. We all watched in fear and curiosity from the table. As he continued to walk, other ponies stared at him, thinking he was mad, until every eye was on him and Damien, who looked at the furious student with the calmest of expressions._

"Hey, Raven!"

_Damien's eyes narrowed at the nickname, but he didn't interrupt the student, and continued to stare him out._

"If you think you're so tough with your stupid little group, how about you prove it? I challenge you to a race, right here, right now, to the College and back!"

_Quiet gasps could be heard from other tables, but mostly there was nothing but silence. If a pegasus challenges another pegasus, you had to take up the challenge, no matter how difficult or biased, no exceptions. If you didn't, then you weren't a real pegasus. Everypony knew that Damien wasn't the type to start a fight, but he was also the son of the Shadowbolt leader. If he were to decline the fight, the Shadowbolts would be more hated than ever, and I doubt any Shadowbolt could live with the shame. The Shadowbolt's future rested on the next words that came out of Damien's mouth._

"Accepted."

_With that, they both took off at the same time, flying over the cafe. Everypony looked up at them in awe, some cheering, others watching in silence. From this distance, it seemed as if the student was winning, racing ahead in quick bursts of energy and speed. However, the student soon grew weary and slowed down, while Damien's wind-related powers meant that he had an advantage, and soon caught up to him. After a few minutes of this constant struggle, the College was in sight to them. The student was far ahead by this point. We all assumed he was going to win. However, just at that moment, Damien spread his wings, concentrating on something. Suddenly, a large forcefield of silver wind enveloped him, pushing him forward. It looked exactly like an invisible Sonic Rainboom. We all gasped, including myself. I didn't know that anypony else had an ability like mine. But before I could think what to do about it, he had already won the race, and the other student was still flying back from the College. Damien was greeted with wild cheers from his small group of friends, while most of the other pegasi ignored his victory and walked away, displeased that he won. After a few minutes, the panting student appeared and went up to Damien, who was still being congratulated by his genuinely adoring friends, causing him to smile, embarrassed._

"That wasn't fair! Using that wind thing was the same as cheating!"

_Damien's smile disappeared as he turned to look at him, keeping a calm expression._

"I'm sorry. It's not really something I can control. If you want a rematch, I won't say no."

_It could have been taken as a challenge, but the student chose not to see it as such, and instead only glared at him and walked away, not being able to cope with the shame of being defeated twice in a row by the same colt. By that point, I knew I had to start talking to him more. After all, a pony like me didn't care about who was popular or not. I only cared about the successful, the winners of this world. I was determined to be one of them, no matter the costs. I wouldn't allow my vision towards that to be clouded. A few days later, I spoke to Damien for the first time._ _I waited until he was away from his group, who would have thought me mad for approaching them. I didn't want them interrupting our conversation. There were pawns. I only cared about the bishop that walked in front of me, making his way to the College garden now that classes had ended for the day._

"Hey, Damien, you dropped this!"

_He turned around to see me holding up a book called The History of Cloudsdale. I had, in fact, broken into his locker the night beforehand and stolen it, so I would now have a conversation starter. He walked towards me, looking menacing in his uniform, as I couldn't see the expression on his face. All I could see were those ice blue eyes, analysing my every movement with a sort of cunning that only true rulers could master, seeming to stare right into my mind. Then his eyes softened at the sight of the book._

"Thank you."

_He took it from me and started to walk away._

"Wait, Damien!"

_He turned back, book already in his bag._

"Yes?"

_I wanted a way of attracting his attention, but now I had no reason to, it seemed the potential conversation had vanished. I was close to telling him that it was nothing when his curious gaze turned to recognition._

"Tell me, have you ever completed a Sonic Rainboom?"

"Yes! That's me!"

"I was sure I recognised you somewhere. I think I delivered the invitation to the College..."

"Yeah! You did!"

_I grinned like an idiot, until I realised that I had broken any indifferent demeanour that I could have shown. I cursed silently at my foolishness, expecting him to look at me worryingly. However, he only chuckled lightly._

"If you want to talk, next time, just ask, instead of going to the trouble of stealing my book."

_I must have looked shocked, but he only smiled.__ However, his once friendly smile now seemed sly and sadistic._

"I know a lot more than that, Rainbow Dash, the Wonderbolts fanatic. Say, your skills are impressive. Would you ever think about settling for second place?"

_I understood what he was implying immediately, and managed to get some of my charm back._

"Don't worry. I dream of success, not the Wonderbolts. If the Shadowbolts happen to become as successful, they'd be my idols. It all depends."

_His smile only grew at this soft rejection._

"I like a mare who knows what she wants. Come see our group anytime you want."

_Just like that, I was in. I hanged around with Damien and his friends for the rest of my days at the College, until he graduated, and then I studied even harder than before for a year, not really feeling lonely because of the large amount of work I had to do. In the end, I graduated with flying colours. Every flying-related job I wanted was open for me. After much thought, I eventually decided on a job working on the weather side of things. I was the weather moderator, making sure everypony was doing their job correctly. Sometimes, when others were acting uselessly, I stepped in and completed the job myself, causing other ponies to believe I worked as a common weather controller. Other pegasi, however, knew that I was far too important for something so simple. At other times, when they were all doing a good enough job and needed no further instruction, I liked to nap on a nearby cloud. After only a year or so at the job, I was able to afford a large house in Cloudsdale, which I loved. I was respected by many other pegasi, and seen as an important part of Cloudsdale's weather system. However, that was not what I wanted. I had success, but I also wanted fame. Working in something undramatic like weather systems meant that I didn't have that. However, I still knew that becoming a famous flyer was the only way to achieve great fame in Cloudsdale and beyond. So, I continued to practise, waiting for the day that the Wonderbolts contacted me. However, that wasn't my fate. My fate was to take the second most famous group of flyers and bring them up to become the best. But not just that. I was definitely capable of that. But I was also capable of much more. I didn't know that yet, but I was capable of changing the world with a movement of my hoof, if only given the chance._


	4. Chapter 4

_Not many important things happened after that. I still longed for glory and fame as the best flyer in Equestria, but for the most part, I was playing the waiting game at this point. I was good enough for be the best flyer in Equestria, but how was I supposed to prove it? However, I had a feeling in my heart that destiny would lead me towards that dream before I even had a concept of what destiny was. Still, I suppose I'll skip to the moment you've all been waiting for. The day when I met the Shadowbolts, and the events that led up to it. Also, if you were curious, I didn't contact Damien after leaving the College. I couldn't find an excuse to. Still, I supposed I missed him, in a way. He was worthy of respect._

_It was the day of the Summer Sun Celebration when I met them all. It started with Twilight Sparkle. I was a lot happier than usual that day. After all, The Wonderbolts were coming to perform at the celebration. I was going to see them there, perform a bit, show them my talents, and they'd welcome me in with open arms. My entire future, my life dreams, were laid out in front of me. I had to grasp this opportunity. Still, nothing could distract me from her blatant rudeness completely. She should have heard herself. 'I heard you're supposed to be keeping the sky clear!' she said, in that mocking tone. What a bitch. Still, I tried my best not to take it as a challenge and stay calm, as I wanted to be on my best behaviour in case a Wonderbolt came here early and saw me. But then she did challenge me. I scowled, losing my temper. A typical unicorn, I must have thought at the time, always up her own ass. Still, I'd show her who was the best soon enough. I announced to her that I could clear the sky in 'ten seconds flat', and I did. She stood there, gawping, looking extremely stupid. That, I admit, made me laugh. It made me feel good to be on top. So good that I even said that I wanted to 'hang out with her some more'. How unlike me. Still, I suppose all the years of boredom and loneliness had had their toll. I was becoming soft._

_That fact was only shown more so at Twilight Sparkle's welcoming party. There I talked with three other new ponies and an old friend: Fluttershy. I didn't know what was wrong with me that night. It was as if I was taken over by a sort of magic. I'm very rarely this friendly with anypony, and it was the same back then, except when I thought they had something to offer me. However, this night, I felt gleeful, as if I was walking on air. The change of scenery was changing me, and little did I know how close I was to changing completely. But it was also the night I met Nightmare Moon. It was an ordinary Summer Sun Celebration. We were all waiting for Princess Celestia to step out and make her usual dull speech about harmony and the sun and how great she is. Even in my current happy state, I rolled my eyes, but I was prepared to sit through her speech this time. However, when the curtains opened, she was gone. Everypony was worried and concerned, including myself. I liked a change of routine as much as anypony, but this much chaos was disturbing. Don't take me wrong; it's not as if I actually cared for Princess Celestia. I just accepted that she had full power, and was prepared to serve her at the promise of power and fame. That's why my immediate reaction when I saw Nightmare Moon was outrage. I was going to talk with Princess Celestia that night, maybe impress her with my flying skills. This strange Alicorn was getting in the way of that. I rushed towards her, losing my temper when that fool Applejack held me back. I would have started a fight with her in any normal circumstance, but this wasn't normal to me. I already knew that there was something special about this night. That feeling was made stronger when I heard Nightmare Moon's laugh. It sounded glorious. Like the sound a knife makes when it slices through bare flesh. Every single different tone of that laugh brought a new wound, a new perspective, a new everything. Though, only a few seconds ago, I would have thought that this night would be new in a horrible way, I knew that this was one of the rare times when something new is stronger and better than the thing before. However, through this revelation, Applejack still held me back. I stood, transfixed, staring at her. She was beautiful. She was dangerous. She was powerful. She was everything I'd ever wanted to be and more. I needed to move to her side. I needed to speak to her. But, for now, I could see that the ponies I were with were rebellious against her, and they might become of use to me. So, I decided that I would pretend to be on their side. For now. I watched this mysterious Alicorn speak with Twilight Sparkle with held breath. What if she chooses her instead of me? What if my temper caused too much trouble for me? However, she spoke only to threaten her, and promised us all that this would be our last day, and that the night would last forever. While everypony gasped, I thought to myself. My head was spinning. But the most important concern for myself, at the time, was my mind shouting 'The night lasting forever...why does that thought not bother me?'_

_When the Alicorn, who's name I had just discovered to be Nightmare Moon, flew away into the distance, I forgot my place and flew after her, demanding that she come back threateningly. Then I felt Applejack's gaze on me, so I tried to sound insecure and frightened about the thought of night lasting forever. But it wasn't really working. I scolded myself, telling myself to try harder. My plan was never going to work if I didn't do my part. I also became a bad actress at other parts in this tale, like where I declared Twilight to be a spy to hide my true feelings, or when I glanced at the window at a listening Nightmare Moon while we read about the Elements of Harmony. Luckily, I didn't slip up and say anything too noticeable to show my new devotion to Nightmare Moon. But I didn't have to act when the Everfree Forest was mentioned. I had heard the legends about those places. I was terrified at first. But then I thought of Damien, and remembered not to judge a book by it's cover, which prompted me to lurk deeper into the forest with the other ponies. I also enjoyed terrifying the weaker ponies who believed the tales as I had with tales of my own. However, just as I started to enjoy their panic, a landfall occurred. My own safety was my first concern, and I flew above it. However, without the other ponies, I didn't know how far I'd make it through the Everfree Forest. Plus, I needed them to lead me to Nightmare Moon. So, I saved them all. Yet another favour they owed me. Even if this didn't go as I planned, I could always use that. The rest isn't that interesting. Fluttershy managed to calm the Manticore that we couldn't defeat with the power of 'kindness'. I thought that was stupid. If a great beast like that can't get a little thorn from it's paw, then it's pretty much useless, and should be killed for the greater good of it's species genes. Still, I kept my valid opinions to myself and moved on. Then Pinkie Pie shunned off the fear from the sinister shadows by laughing at it, which I thought was even crazier than Fluttershy's point of view. I blended in by laughing along with the mad ponies. I felt like a maniac, and I probably looked like one. Still, I will admit that I achieved the smallest sense of...happiness, I suppose. I wasn't sure whether to celebrate or be disgusted with myself. I choose the latter. But Rarity's actions were the most idiotic of them all. When that moaning sea serpent yelled about his moustache, I muttered my distaste._

"Give me a break..."

_No matter how hard I tried to act as friendly as them, I couldn't suppress that. I was immediately reminded of that blonde pegasus from the College when Rarity began to rant on about the importance of fashion. However, she eventually made a decision to give the creature her tail as a replacement. I was again reminded of the stupidity of ponies that helped the weaker ones. Still, now was not the time for that. We were able to cross the river. We were close to the temple; there was only one bridge in our way. Twilight, being the clumsy fool she was, almost fell off it, so I had to drag her back. I was close to just flying towards the temple and leaving them behind, as I was now on the other side of the bridge, when I heard somepony call my name._

"Rainbow..."

_I gasped, shocked and disturbed by the sound of the strange voice._

"Who's there?"

"Rainbow..."

_I narrowed my eyebrows, sick of this pretense., beginning to lose my temper._

"I'm not scared of you! Show yourself!"

"We have eagerly been waiting the arrival of the best flyer in all of Equestria."

_The voice was soft, and I was sure I recognised it from somewhere. Anypony else would have thought the voice belonged to a mare. But for some reason, it reminded me of a certain colt...Lost in my thoughts, I couldn't act, and stood there uselessly, staring into the mist, causing me to ask a stupid question._

"Who?"

"Why, you, of course!"

"Really? I mean, oh, yeah, me! Would you mind telling the Wonderbolts that? 'Cause I've been trying to get into that group for like...ever!"

_I adored that flattery, as I relished all compliments, but I also had The Wonderbolts on my mind. I hoped that I was able to get back in time to see them._

"No, Rainbow Dash. We want you to join us."

_At that revelation, they sprinted out of the darkness, showing themselves. I recognised them immediately, but they spoke their title anyway._

"The Shadowbolts. We're the greatest aerial team in the Everfree Forest and soon, we will be the greatest in all of Equestria! But first, we need a Captain."

_I felt myself grinning like an idiot. I couldn't help it. Just the thought of being part of a flying team soon to be the greatest in all of Equestria attracted me like no other proposal they could have made._

"The most magnificent...the fastest...bravest flyer in all the land! We need...you."

_I cheered, never being happier in my entire life. I could see it now. The parades. The cheering. Being showered with diamonds. Everything would be wonderful, and I could do as I wished for the rest of my days._

"Sign me up! Just let me tie this rope real quick, and then we have a deal."

_I didn't care what happened to them much now. I just felt a certain sense of responsibility, having come with them this far. That was strange, though. I didn't like it. Why should I be looking after them if they can't do something for themselves? The very thought went against everything I believed in. For that moment, I was so confused. My confusion and torn attitude was only strengthened by the next thing that the Shadowbolt said._

"No! It's them, or us."

_My expression must have betrayed my emotions, because they proceeded to glare down at me. I'm sure Twilight Sparkle shouted something towards me, but I couldn't make out what it was through the clouds and mist. It didn't matter much right now. What mattered to me was why I felt such a strong attraction towards the pegasus that glared down at me. I'd want to fight anypony that gave me a dirty look. So why not this one? Then I realised that the only thing I could do to decide was find out who this pony was. The need for victory vanished for an instant as I pulled the mask from the pony's face with my teeth. Suddenly, Damien was staring back at me, those shocked yet unmovable icy blue eyes staring into me, asking me again and again what my decision was without speaking a word. I looked him right in the eyes, and suddenly I saw another future. There were wedding bells, laughing, races. It seemed magical._

"You."

_I spoke without thinking. He grinned happily, though any other would think it seemed evil. I knew him too well for that. I smiled back, and walked with him and the other Shadowbolts, ignored the inevitable cries that came from the other, weaker ponies as I retreated from them to my new future._


	5. Chapter 5

_So that was the story of how I joined the Shadowbolts. Just like that, I was whisked off to an entirely new world. We flew away together in silence. While beforehand I haven't had time to, I was enjoying the clear skies of the Everfree Forest, especially as my once close friend flew near to me. Though he tried not to show it, I could see his grin shining out through the darkness of his costume, though he tried to fight it off. He had missed me. Did I miss him? I...wasn't sure. I'm still not sure. I'm...getting off subject. The darkness of the trees and wilderness around me would fill most other ponies with fear, but I didn't mind. I quite liked the new environment, away from those annoying ponies who were probably still calling on the other side of the bridge. Foals. I didn't have time to let my thoughts linger to them, though. There were more important things to do. All my thoughts and questions disappeared when something came into sight. A large and tall building, carved completely out of dark blue stone. It looked so much like Cloudsdale's College for Gifted Flyers that my heart gave a jump of surprise and recognition, causing me to hurry towards it, my speed increasing. However, when I noticed it wasn't the building, but only a lookalike, I calmed down. However, the flicker of Damien's eyes in my direction and the smile the crept across his face told me that he had noticed it anyway. He flew towards me, so we were slowly gliding next to each other._

"So, you do remember it as well as myself."

_I nodded, spellbound by the building. He chuckled, so much like Damien. The contrast of his light voice compared with his deep laugh was the same. He hadn't changed one bit. I was glad of that. We were close to the College after a few seconds, so we all glided towards the ground in perfect sync. The other two Shadowbolts looked to Damien for instruction, who then dismissed them to the building with a move of his hoof. They obeyed, leaving me and Damien alone, looking up at the building, and leaving me free to start questioning him._

"This building...did you-"

"Purposely make it look like the College? You're one to me already. Yes, I had some good memories there. Most of them with you."

_I ignored the last statement, dragging my eyes from the building reluctantly so I could face him._

"I have so many questions. What is this building? What will we do now? Where did you go after college? What did you do?"

_Damien put his hoof over my mouth, silencing me._

"Hush. I understand your impatience. You're you, after all. But we have all the time in Equestria to discuss it. All the time in Equestria to discuss...us."

_His hoof moved from my mouth and placed over mine, which still lay on the damp, dark grass on the Everfree Forest ground. I automatically moved my hoof away, not a fan of being touched, confused by his change in behaviour._ _I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at him, thinking this must be some kind of prank._

"What do you mean 'us'?"

_He shook his head in disbelief._

"How oblivious can you be?"

_I immediately flared up with anger._

"Hey! You don't want to get in a fight with me, Mr 'Shadowb-"

_Damien rolled his eyes as I began threatening him, but then cut me off with a kiss. After a few seconds, he slowly began to pull away. I sat there in shock, staring into space. But then I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I looked up at him, glaring._

"We don't have time for this. I want answers. Now."

_He smiled down at me, chuckling lightly._

"Sure."

_He proceeded to explain everything. He told me about how, after graduating from the College, his father had been assassinated and he gladly took over as the leader of the Shadowbolts, and gave orders to build the building that towered over us. He told me about how the building was a meeting place and home for Shadowbolts everywhere. He told me that his kind was shunned from the ordinary towns and cities of Equestria, all because of the cruel dictator, Princess Celestia. Then he told me about how none of this would be happening if Nightmare Moon ruled. They would be able to flourish in the large skies of Equestria, and would soon be known as the greatest flying team in Equestria. They even had Nightmare Moon's approval, and the Shadowbolts were soon secretly assigned as Nightmare Moon's private army, to fight for her along with others that supported her against her evil tyrant of a sister. However, Nightmare Moon didn't feel the group was strong enough yet, so she couldn't rise up and make her appearance, so she had been hiding in Equestria for some time after using her great powers to escape the moon. When I asked how she managed to do it, he confessed that he didn't know, and had never had the chance to ask. He also told me that they recruited many new members to please Nightmare Moon, but according to her, it still wasn't enough. She had told them that she wasn't looking for many average flyers, but one great flyer. After a long search, she found one that she thought was suitable. Damien turned towards me._

"She wanted you."

"That can't be right! Nightmare Moon...wanted me?"

_I recalled the way she had laughed in my face when I pretended to resist her, and the strange attraction I had towards her. Suddenly, it didn't seem so impossible that she chose me to be a part of her army._

"Okay...maybe you're right. But all of this seems so far-fetched. I mean, after a thousand years of imprisonment, she just decides to appear on Equestria and destroy her sister with a strange flying group she had never met before?"

"I know. I was unsure of her as well. All the Shadowbolts were. But after a long talk, we came to the conclusion that we should start a union. I love my flying group, but even I have to admit, even before the rumours of supporting Nightmare Moon, we were going nowhere fast, as the expression goes. We were running out of funding, the Shadowbolts had begun to fight with each other because of differing opinions and nopony would support us publicly. In the end, we had no other choice. However, it's grown into more than our desperation now. Many Shadowbolts trust Nightmare Moon, and the promises she make are something we all want. For some reason, we feel as if we can trust her. She often says that fate has brought us together, creatures of the night joined in an unholy binding. Say what you want about Nightmare Moon, but you've got to admit, she's pretty persuasive."

_I didn't believe anything he said until he mentioned fate. The moment he said that Nightmare Moon believed that, I had made my decision. Something in my heart told me that me and Nightmare Moon were connected somehow. I had always believed in fate, whether it be my connection to flying or being accepted to the College. It was all leading up to something. Now I know that it was leading up to this the whole time. Just like that, Nightmare Moon had won me over, and I made a snap decision._

"I believe you."

_Damien stopped speaking about the glory of Nightmare Moon to turn to me._

"I shall become the new leader of the Shadowbolts, as you asked. I will fight for Nightmare Moon."

_Damien grinned and ran towards me, meaning to hug me. I stuck a hoof out, causing him to stop in his tracks._

"I won't let anything be a distraction from that. Even you. Okay?"

_Damien smiled widely at my rejection as he had done many years ago at the College._

"I like a mare who knows what she wants."

_My heart thumped, remembering him as a younger pony at the College, my mind filling with sentimental flashbacks. However, I dismissed it. There was work to be done._

_I was fitted for my Shadowbolts costume, and proceeded to wear it everywhere, a good example of a new leader. Damien now worked as my right-hand man. He was still able to announce control over everypony, but I was technically the leader. Everything Damien did had to be approved by me. He didn't mind much, though. Some of the other Shadowbolts disliked me, preferring Damien as a leader. But after I showed them my Sonic Rainboom, nopony questioned my authority anymore. There were, after all, still from Cloudsdale. In Cloudsdale, if you're a good flyer, you can be a good anything. The next night, we were contacted by Nightmare Moon. We didn't expect her to contact us for another few months at the very least, yet one of her messengers turned up on Shadowbolt ground, clad in a black uniform, wearing a moon symbol on his outfit that glowed dark blue. He announced that we were to prepare ourselves for the great battle, which would be in a few days. An uproar began. I barked at the messenger to tell his princess that that wasn't nearly enough time. He glared at me, but ran off to her. In less than a few hours time, Nightmare Moon herself was standing outside the Shadowbolt Hall, demanding to see me. I knew it hadn't been wise of me to annoy the princess, but I knew I had to face her. I went out to see her while the other Shadowbolts, including Damien, watched from windows inside._

"So, this is the famous Rainbow Dash."

"Yes. Nightmare Moon, I presume?"

_Nightmare Moon smiled._

"You know of my legend. That's a good start. I need your Shadowbolts to organise themselves. The battle will begin shortly."

_Anger filled me, but I tried to control it, not wanting to chase away our most powerful supporter._

"That's impossible. We can't possibly gather our forces and make a plan in less than two days."

_Nightmare Moon's expression of light amusement darkened as the smile disappeared from her face._

"I have made the plans. You needn't worry about that. All you have to do is fight. I thought it was simple enough."

_I couldn't control my anger any longer, and I burst._

"We're not your cattle!"

_It was spoken before I could stop myself. The guards that stood at Luna's side glared at me, almost growling, ready to strike. She stopped them with a signal of their hoof. They stood back, but continued to glare. I ignored them, facing Nightmare Moon, deciding to stand my ground. Nightmare Moon glared down at me. I kept eye-contact with her. We continued to stare at each other for a minute or so. Then a smile came to her face, brightening her entire expression._

"You stand by your ponies, Rainbow Dash. You're loyal to what you believe in. I can respect that."

_Her expression darkened._

"However, those pesky Elements of Harmony are getting in my way. They managed to enter the temple before with the help of the other pegasus pony, and I defeated them. But I'm sure they will attack again. They're very persistent. We need to attack my sister soon, before it's too late. Will you help me?"

_She held out a hoof. I glanced at it, then at the Shadowbolts that stared intently from the windows, and I made my decision._

"Agreed."

_I put my hoof on hers, and we shook hooves, a sign of our new understanding. When Nightmare Moon was gone, we started sorting out our weaponry immediately. Nightmare Moon said to trust her, but we were getting prepared just in case. It never hurt to be careful. The next day, I was called to a meeting hosted by Nightmare Moon. Other ponies were there, representing other groups that supported her. We were all told the strategy that had been planned by Nightmare Moon. We debated amongst each other, but most of us left feeling strangely pleased about the whole thing. Celestia was soon to fall. Everypony on that table would benefit from that, otherwise they wouldn't be there. They all had their different reasons, yet still we followed Nightmare Moon's instructions completely. I had to wonder, though, what if we were just her cattle all along? Still, I didn't let such emotional standings register with me. There were more important things to think about. Soon, we were all ready to attack and, in too short a time, the night of the battle had come. Earlier that day, we had all looked up at the daylight, knowing it would probably be the last day we ever saw. I questioned to Damien how we were going to survive without the sun, but he assured me that Nightmare Moon had promised that she would take care of that issue. I tried not to worry about the minor details, but they continued to nag at me until the night came, and Nightmare Moon appeared in front of the Shadowbolt Hall once again. She was followed with all kinds of ponies who had come to fight in her name. She began a speech._

"My fellow ponies, you have all come here for one thing. Victory. We are all very different, and we long for victory for different reasons, but victory is still our main goal. We must win this war, at any expense. Show no mercy. Kill colts, mares, foals. Destroy what you must to keep our dream intact, and I can promise you that this night which will last forever will be the best night of your lives!"

_Her words were greeted by cheers from everypony, including myself. As you must know, I have written this entire story in this diary, to be read by whoever reads it. They have already moved ahead to go into position. I'm not sure if I will survive this war. But, whatever the outcome, I am sure that I will earn the victory and glory I deserve. I will destroy the weak. For the good of the Shadowbolts. For the good of Equestria. For the good of Nightmare Moon. All hail Nightmare Moon, the rightful queen of Equestria!_


	6. Chapter 6

_I laugh as I read this. That poor foal Rainbow Dash. She really thought she was different. She thought she was destined for something great. Oh, how wrong she was. I am Nightmare Moon, finishing this tale, mostly just for my own entertainment. I doubt anypony will ever read this. Still, in case they do, let me clarify what became of your beloved narrator._

_Everything went as planned. Every group was assigned a different city or town to attack. The ponies who were my technical army attacked Canterlot, along with myself, as my sister lived there. The Shadowbolts were a larger group than when I first met them, so I asked that they attack both Cloudsdale and Ponyville. The other ponies attacked less important towns. They didn't matter much. They're not part of this tale. I went to my sister, only to find that the Elements of Harmony were with her. I knew that they would have been expecting me, so I presumed they'd have guards and traps all around the place. But no. My sister was so sure of herself that she insulted me by presenting five young ponies as my enemy. They may have posed a threat with Rainbow Dash with them, as she would have been the Element of Loyalty, but she had chosen a different path. They didn't realise it yet, but they were completely powerless without her. I killed them all easily, almost too easily. I made my way to my sister, who still sat in her throne, eyes burning into mine with hate reflecting in them. She knew that guards and traps couldn't hold me back, in the end. This had been her last chance, so she gambled. The dice had turned against her, and now she had to face her debts. However, I knew she wouldn't give up without a fight. I smiled down at her._

"Goodbye, my sister."

_She glared up at me._

"You're not my sister."

_With that, she stood up in a flash and beamed balls of light in my direction from her horn. If I hadn't been expecting it, they would have destroyed me. But I knew all her tricks. I dodged them easily. I knew that she would be able to dodge my balls of darkness, so instead of doing that, I pulled a new move out of my hat. I flew into the sky and flew down towards her, then grabbed her, throwing her from a great height before she even knew what was going on. When she fell, many of her bones broke, including some in her legs and ribs. She struggled to stand, but managed it, and ran into me, yelling with anger. I waited until she was close, then moved my horn into her eye. The eye burst open and blood spilled everywhere. She stumbled back in shock and I hammered her with balls of darkness, as she couldn't defend herself. I smiled down at my weakened sister. Any other pony would have thought she was on the verge of death, having lost so much blood. However, I knew better. She was immortal. No matter how many times I killed her, she would always appear in a few days, good as new. She knew this and grinned up at me, blood from her eye drooling into her smile._

"What...will you do...now?"

_I returned the smile and leaned down towards her._

"I'm going to do the same thing you did to me. However, I'm not going to banish you to the moon. I'll banish you to the sun."

_Fear filled the expression of the once strong and noble alicorn._

"No...Luna, you can't..."

"Luna couldn't. But I can. You may be immortal, but you still have the body of a ordinary pony. You will go through extreme pain the moment you get near the sun, and then you'll die. But then you'll regenerate, only to discover that you're still on the sun, only so you can feel the extreme pain once again and die once again. The process will continue again and again, nopony there to hear your screams as you die and die for the rest of all time."

_My grin spread across my face, filling me with a warmth and happiness I hadn't felt in my entire life._

"You'll go insane."

"No! Luna, please, have mercy! I don't wanna go!"

_She wept at my hooves, and I lost what little respect I had for her. I ignored her pleas and was filled with a need to get this over with. I pointed my horn at her, and shouted my order to the power that came from all alicorns._

"To the sun!"

_Her body started to dematerialise. She let out one final, agonised scream, and then she was gone. I smiled down at the spot my sister had been, and then moved to her throne. It was covered in blood, but I didn't care. I sat in it and looked at the destruction around me, listening to the peaceful screeches, screams and pleas from the ponies being murdered ruthlessly down below from this castle. It was perfection. I knew that there were still other duties to take care of, but I was reluctant to leave the castle. Still, I managed to tear myself from the seat and make my way outside, where my pawns waited for me. The streets were covered with blood. The element of surprise meant that we had had the advantage, but they may have been able to give out a warning to some of the other towns. We had won the battle, not the war. Still, I allowed myself to relish in this victory. A unicorn pony made his way to me and bowed his head, dressed in his guard uniform._

"Your Majesty, we have defeated all the for-"

_He was never able to finish his sentence. Those were the last words to ever leave his mouth. I had ripped his head off with a quick snap of my jaw, pulling it from the seams. His limp body fell to the ground immediately, and I still held the head in my mouth. The other ponies who had fought for me that were still alive now knew my true intentions. You see, I had never intended to let them live. They would fight for me, yes, but they all had families and friends. They were weak. Not perfect. That imperfection had to be destroyed. I would be more than glad to do it. So, I killed them all. The ponies tried to run or fly away, but it was easy to catch them. I fought the temptation to play with them before they died. This wasn't supposed to be enjoyable. It was a task. Merely business. Less than a minute later, they were all dead. I licked the blood from my hooves and flew to every town, slaughtering friend and foe, until I came to Ponyville. I recognised Rainbow Dash immediately. She was shaking somepony, begging them to get up. I think he was the former leader, son of the Shadowbolt family. It didn't matter now; he was long dead. I shook my head and made my way towards them._

"Nightmare Moon! You've gotta do something! Damien's just lying there! He's not getting up! I tried to wake him, but...I think he's really hurt. Can't you do something?"

"Oh, Rainbow. Of course I can. I could regenerate him anytime I wanted."

_She looked up at me hopefully, a grin on her face and tears of joy in her eyes._

"However, I won't."

"...W-What? What? Why not?"

"Why should I? He's of no importance to me."

"But...I'm of importance to you! You said so yourself! What about my fate?"

"All that talk of fate was bullshit. You make your own fate in this life. You made the decisions in the end. It's your fault that all of Equestria bleeds. It's your fault that Damien is dead. It's your fault that you're lying among the dead, crying, blood covering your unstable body. You have to face the consequences of your decisions. Not me."

_I begun to walk away, but then I saw her try to get up. Then I noticed her distorted bones that stuck out of her legs. She trembled with agony, but eventually she stood._

"You bitch! You psycho bitch! He trusted you! We all trusted you! You're sick!"

"No, Equestria is sick. Love is a sickness. It must be driven out."

"No! Ponies like you are sick! You have no concept of anything but hate! You don't even understand what loyalty is!"

_Suddenly, before my eyes, Rainbow Dash became more colourful. Nopony had noticed the grey shade of her, as her surroundings were always as grey as her. But now I could see the bright rainbow colours of her mane, the strong blue of her coat, the deep amber of her eyes. I was filled with a strange fear. She was more imperfect than the rest put together. She was a monster, and she had to be destroyed. While she ranted and colour spread through her, I charged a ball of darkness at her. She didn't see it coming, and she was only an average pegasus pony, so of course it killed her. Still, the colour didn't drain from her. I doubt that she had ever been more excited or 'alive' as she would have called it in her life. I left her body there, not caring for it._

_I had to clean it up later, of course, along with the others. I just dumped them into big pits, not caring enough about for the cattle to give them a proper funeral. Now, what shall I do, you ask? Well, when I was banished to the moon, I couldn't get back to Equestria because I lacked the technology. However, primate-like creatures happened to visit the moon with all sorts of equipment for transportation. I killed them and stole their transport to go to Equestria. I have now figured out where they live. A planet called Earth. I plan to go there, build an army made of their gullible natives, and destroy it from the inside. I shall teach everypony in the universe what perfection is. In the words of Rainbow Dash, '_For the good of Equestria. For the good of Nightmare Moon. All hail Nightmare Moon, the rightful queen of Equestria!'. I couldn't have said it any better myself.__

**Well, that's the end! I hope you enjoyed my...unique story. XD Please review! :3**


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